Friday
by Sweet Little Darling
Summary: Friday was Tony and Pepper's day, a day that they could spend all day together and that they both enjoyed. However, one Friday morning Tony Stark wakes up sick and it's up to Pepper to take care of the stubborn Iron Man. How will Tony Stark thank her for taking care of him and ruining her Friday? One-shot!


Friday

Friday was Tony and Pepper's day. It was the only day that they could agree on that they decided that Pepper wouldn't be working, answering annoying phone calls, or on a private jet halfway around the world. It was the only day, an extremely rare day where Tony wouldn't touch his Iron Man suit no matter how much he wanted too and he wouldn't spent almost twenty-fours hours locked in his lab creation his next "great invention" until Pepper came home later that night.

On Friday morning they would wake up late and have breakfast together (made especially by Pepper, since Tony could barely turn on a stove without burning the whole place down. Pepper didn't need to have the stress of rebuilding the tower again after the incident with Loki.)

They would go sightseeing around New York and Pepper would ignored all the comments that Tony made about the places they went, she wasn't embarrassed to be seen in them, unlike him. "God, Pepper what are we doing here," Pepper could almost make out Tony's entire complaint. "Have you seen the people that are here? Did you see what that guy was wearing, the guy's from Montana, Pep, Montana! We are actually in the same place where a guy from Montana is-oh, there's another one Pepper, she's from Idaho!"

"Tony, we have been here for almost a year and we haven't even seen half of the sightseeing that New York has to offer," Pepper would point out impatiently.

"Exactly," he would said squirming. "I wouldn't like to look like a tourist." He shivered, as if that was the most horrible thing imaginable.

"Tony, hate to break it you but you are a tourist." Pepper pointed out sarcastically.

"I'm from Malibu," Tony pointed defensively, he was never one to back down easily. "New York is practically Malibu's. . .mother." he finished lamely.

Pepper laughed. "I wasn't aware that New York was mother, they don't put that on advertisement."

"They also don't put that we are going to be attack by psycho gods from another planet and their killer robots," Tony pointed out. "And you don't see me complaining."

Despite their silly arguments, Pepper and Tony generally lived for Fridays because it was a day where they could be together all day. No Fury, no Hill, no Avengers, despite the fact that they lived in Stark Tower themselves.

Tony had made it perfectly clear that he would give them shelter in exchange that they deserted the tower before six'o clock every Friday morning and return on Saturday. It had embarrassed Pepper at the beginning and she had even scolded him, but she had privately agreed that Tony was genius. She adored the Avengers, especially Steve, it was so cute how he stumbled and blushed every time he saw her. But it was nice to have one day where Tony was all hers.

"A bit possessive, Miss Potts aren't you?" Tony has teased her when Pepper, had told him as he wrapped his arms around her thin waist. "You just can't wait to have me all to yourself."

"Shut up," she had said as she kissed him softly on the lips, her strawberry hair falling on his handsome face. "Besides Friday is our day."

"And every Friday from now on," he said lovingly and he stared at the night table next to them. "Pep,-"

"What?"

"Nothing," he say as he started unbuttoning her blouse. "I'll tell you, next Friday."

Pepper Potts snuggled, closer to Tony's warm body on Friday morning. It still amazed her that Tony Stark was capable of sleeping for more that three hours every day and in a bed, something that he did only when she slept over. He had been strangely tired last night and they had fallen asleep around ten while watching America's Got Talent. Pepper raised her head a little to look at the alarm clock in the night table besides her. Her hazel eyes widened when she saw that it was already half-past nine. It her regular workdays she would be up promptly at five in the morning and in the office by six, but strangely her body relaxed on Fridays and she found herself sleeping until ten in the morning.

Tony however usually wasn't much of a heavy sleeper, he usually was up at seven and would watch TV or count her freckles while she woke up, her boyfriend was strange that way, but after all he was a genius.

"Tony," she nudged him gently. "Wake up, sweetheart."

Tony grumbled something and refused to turn around.

"Tony?" she asked puzzled.

Usually Tony would respond at a snap of her fingers or give her a sarcastic or inappropriate comment, but not this time.

Tony let out a low groan that sounded between a growl and a whimper. "Shit," she heard him mumbled as he slowly sat up in bed.

"Tony!" she gasped when he finally managed to sit up. His white t shirt was lightly soaked with sweat, his face seemed flushed, his eyes glassy, and he looked exhausted despite the fact that it was late morning. He rubbed his tired eyes.

"Honey, are you ok?" Pepper asked as she inched closer to Tony. She noticed that he was lightly sweating.

"I'm fine, Pep," he said his voice horsed as she tried to clear his throat. "Just peachy." He gave a force smile that Pepper had seen millions of time.

Pepper put her hands on her hips. "Anthony Edward Stark, don't you dare lie to me!" She could obviously tell that something was very wrong with Tony. That he wasn't his usually playful, sarcastic, arrogant genius that they all knew and love.

This was a different Tony.

This was a sick Tony.

"I'm not lying, Pep," he said sounding unusually cranky as he slapped her hand away from touching his forehead. The fact of the matter was that he felt horrible, like if Thor had just thrown his hammer at him. It wasn't normal that he felt sick.

Tony Stark did not get sick. Sickness was for normal people, not people like him. He was Iron Man for crying out loud!

Pepper still looked unconvinced. "I'd be better off if I knew you weren't running a temperature, you really look sick Tony."

"I'm fine, Pep," he insisted, praying that Jarvis didn't annoyingly offer to get a read on his temperature, but he didn't. He had trained him well. "Now get dressed, we have a long way ahead of us, what will it be this time, the central park zoo?" he said as he dressed carefully avoiding her concerned eyes. "Because I'm telling you I could take you to Antarctica if you want to see penguins that bad."

"Are you sure you're ok?" she insisted suspiciously. "You're not hiding anything are you?"

Tony stop tying his tie as he kissed her softly on the forehead. "Of course not, Miss Potts. You worry too much you know, you're going to get worry lines."

"I'll risk it," she managed to joke, still concern about the fact that Tony felt too hot for a person that claimed was just "fine."

Pepper made chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast. Any other day he would have been thrilled because Pepper only made him his favorite pancakes on special occasion, like on his birthday, but today the pancakes seemed less that appetizing.

In fact just looking them, perfectly stacked with whipped cream and chocolate sauce made his stomach cringe. He hadn't felt that his stomach had been upset until he saw the overly sweet food placed in front of him. Maybe he could just tell Pepper that he wasn't in the mood for pancakes today, maybe just a piece of toast or a large bottle of Pepto Bismol.

"I made your favorite." she singsong as she kissed him on the cheek.

She looked so happy that Tony couldn't bear crushing her spirit now, especially since she had gone through so much trouble to make him his favorite food. "Gee, thanks Pep." His clothes felt very hot and he wished that he could just take them off.

Tony carefully cut his pancakes, when he usually just shoved in his mouth and slowly swallowed. As soon as he managed to swallow his first bite, he could feel everything coming back in to his throat and his eyes widened in surprise at the familiar reaction. A reaction he would rather avoid all together and rather get thrown out of the Empire State building.

He quickly pushed himself out of the chair and raced to the bathroom and threw up into the first toilet that he saw. It was horrible throwing up, especially when he didn't know if he was going to throw up again when he stood up. He stood kneeled down dry heaving into the toilet until Pepper tsked by the door. "Now are you ready to admit that you're sick?" she said with a triumph in her voice.

Tony weakly nodded. "All right, you win."

Pepper sighed as she kneeled down next to him and offered him a glass of water that Tony hungrily craved for. He gave it back to her gratefully.

"Now are you ready to let me have a look at you," she said as she stared with concern at his glassy eyes.

Tony pouted. "I told you I'm not sick Pep," he slowly stood up. "It's probably just one of those bugs that once you throw up you're all better, you know like a rollercoaster."

"Yeah, and I'm the Queen of England," she said sarcastically. Tony looked like he wouldn't budge and Pepper knew that it was time to bring out the big guns. "Look Tony either you can let me have a look at you or I can call Bruce and he can do it. It's entirely you're choice." she offered sweetly.

He widened his eyes in horror, knowing Bruce, he would practically strap him to a hospital bed, a fate much worse than death. Tony tried to stare her down, but it clearly wasn't working. "Fine." he murmured like a little kid. "You win."

"What was that?" Pepper asked amused.

He glared at her.

"God, you're cranky when you're sick." she teased.

"I'm not cranky." he protested following behind her.

Pepper got him clean pajamas from a drawer and tossed them to him. '"Here, go change." she instructed firmly.

He stared at them in his hands and then he grinned at her wickedly. "Or you can dressed me yourself, Nurse Pepper."

Pepper blushed. "You're sick, not invalid. Now go."

Once he change, Pepper coaxed him into bed and Tony was nearly falling asleep against the cool covers when Pepper snapped sternly. "Not yet. I need to take your temperature."

"Oh, please Pep, can you just ask Jarvis to do a reading," he pleaded. "He's capable about it you know."

"Indeed I am, Miss Potts." the AI responded.

"Sorry, no offense Jarvis but I can't risk it if you side with Tony on this one," she smirked as she held up a thermometer. "Open up."

He rolled his eyes in mock exaggeration and she placed the thermometer under his tongue. "102.3." She frowned. "It's not that bad, but I don't want it to get any worst."

"Nurse Pepper," he slurred again.

Pepper rolled her eyes as she dropped green liquid into a spoon.

"What's that?" he hissed. "Are you trying to kill me? I never though it would be you Pep!"

"Relax," she said irritably. "It's medicine, Tony."

"I'm not drinking that." he growled.

"And how do you expect to get better?"

Tony didn't respond as he tried to come up with something. As soon as he came up with a sure idiocy he opened his mouth and Pepper used that opportunity to make him swallow it.

Tony gagged.

"All of it." she warned.

"That wasn't very nice," he snapped at her.

"Well, I'm not nice," she said as she pushed him back on the bed. "You sleep."

Before Tony could protest he felt himself close his eyes and fall asleep.

Tony woke up to someone rubbing a cool washcloth around his face and neck. "Pep." he said and Pepper pulled back.

"Oh, baby I didn't mean to wake you." Pepper said. "You just seemed flushed."

"What time is it?" he croaked as he tried to stand up.

"A little after six," she said as she tried to push him back on the bed. "Tony, you need to rest more, you still have a fever-"

"Oh no," he mumbled at the realization that Friday was nearly over. "I ruined your Friday."

"Of course not Tony!" she said as she pressed a hand to his warm forehead. "You didn't ruined anything, you got sick, everyone get sick sometimes, you just can't help it."

Tony didn't looked convince and looked absolutely miserable, until an idea popped into his head. "I know a way I can make up your Friday." he said as he pushed open his drawer of his night table.

"How?" she asked perplexed. "And no, we are not having sex while you're sick."

"Of course not." he said amused as he showed a bright red box.

Pepper gasped as she saw the box and dropped the wash cloth on the floor and sat weakly on top of him. "Tony, is that. . ." her voice became quiet.

"I would kneel right know but since you're sitting on me," he joked as he opened the box and showed her a huge diamond ring that he had bought since Easter. "I wanted to give this to you in two months in our anniversary but.. . " he stumbled and blushed. Tony actually blushed! "Pepper Potts, will you marry me?"

"Of course darling!" she squealed as he slipped the ring in her finger. She kissed him softly on the lips trying to remember the fact that he was still sick. "I love you."

This certainly was the best Friday ever.

The End!

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